D-DAY CEREMONIES - A SOBERING THOUGHT!

One of the most solemn statements that I heard on June 6th, during the gathering of aged warriors at the Normandy site, was that these men will not be present for the next remembrance of the invasion on the coast of France by the Allied Forces. The reason being, it will be 25 years in the future. These brave men are in their 90s. They had to be in their late teens or early twenties when they ‘hit the beaches’ of Normandy on June 6, 1944. The thought entered my mind, neither will I be present, nor my wife, for the 100th anniversary of D-Day. The reason being, we are presently in the 84th year of our lives, by God’s grace and providence. But, we are not alone. Our nation is filled with people in the ‘sunset’ of their lives. But, death is no respecter of age. Death ‘knocks on the door’ of the young as well as the old. It invades the lives of the rich and the poor, the famous and the pauper. It is written in the Holy Scriptures “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Again, “For the living know that they will die…” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). The greatest advice that I could give to all the living is found in 2 Kings 20:1:”In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” (KJV) The point to be taken from this verse, is knowing that we shall die, and we should make preparations, that is, we need to “set thine house in order.” God desires for all to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). He gave His precious Son to die on Calvary’s cross because He loved us (John 3:16). We all need to obey the gospel of Christ and live faithfully, that by God’s grace, we can be with God and all the redeemed in that place prepared for the redeemed (John 14:1-3). As penitent believers, would you not be baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38)? It is in kindness that I ask, is your house (life) in order?